HypeGalore

Canada made history by passing a bill that legalizes marijuana. The main goal for this bill was to discourage the youth from partaking in the drug and to get rid of marijuana on the black market. The law won’t actually take place into Fall 2018 which gives Canadian provinces time to set their own laws for sale and distribution.

Did You Say Marijuana is Legal in Canada Eh?

You heard that right folks. Weed will be legal starting fall of 2018 after Senate passed a bill with a vote of 52-29. Canada is the second country in the world to have a legislation legalizing the marijuana market.

The first country to legalize the plant was Uruguay in December of 2013.

Who Do We Thank?

You can thank Prime Minister Justin Trudeau for this idea. Bill C-45 or the Cannabis Act, came from Trudeau’s campaign to keep marijuana away from those that are underage as well as to reduce the crime rate. Trudeau announced the passing of the bill on Twitter by tweeting, “It’s been too easy for our kids to get marijuana – and for criminals to reap the profits. Today, we change that. Our plan to legalize and regulate marijuana just passed the Senate. #Promisekept.”

The Specifics

Once the bill is officially implemented, adults 18+ will be able to walk around with up to 30 grams of legal marijuana in public. Provinces will set their own minimum age in hopes to discourage youth from smoking pot. They can also grow their own marijuana legally too! They’ll be allowed to grow no more than four plants in their homes and prepare edibles if they choose to.

If it isn’t a given, Canada will also be adjusting their driving laws with the legalization of marijuana. Since the law won’t go into effect until October 17, provinces will have time to determine their own specific laws to regulate cannabis retail.

You can’t just purchase marijuana from anywhere. Consumers will have to purchase Mary Jane from specific retailers that have been approved by the government. Another key here is that marijuana will NOT be sold at the same locations as alcohol or tobacco. Smart idea to prevent crossfading!

The Hopeful Effects

Canada is purposefully trying to keep the price of marijuana low so the black market for the drug will eventually fizzle out.

When weed was legalized in Colorado, the state made a tremendous amount of money. The money went to places where it was needed, specifically for education. Just like Colorado, the bill is going to start a billion dollar industry. In 2017, BDS Analytics said that the pot industry made about 9$ billion in sales. Only a handful of states in the U.S. have legalized marijuana use so we can only imagine what it’s going to do for Canada.

Who’s ready for a trip to Canada?! We can get pancakes with maple syrup after. Something tells me we’ll be craving them. 😉